On NATIONAL PUPPY DAY, please remember to adopt from a shelter, and then go easy on pet vaccines - THE LETHAL DANGERS OF DOGS AND CATS VACCINATIONS

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National Puppy Day encourages you to always consider adoption from a shelter first, instead of buying pets born in puppy mills.  Don't forget the importance of spaying and neutering to reduce the overpopulation of unwanted pets and unnecessary suffering.  And BEWARE of the dangers of vaccines.

 

CONTINUE READING about puppy adoption and the dangers of vaccines

DOG FOOD RECALL - Party Animal Cocolicious brand dog food contained too much Pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize pets - Bodies of euthanized pets are sold to some pet food companies to be used as ingredients, including those of animals with tumors and cancers - PLEASE, TRY TO FEED YOUR PET HOME MADE FOOD

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Pet food manufacturer Party Animal voluntarily recalled two variants of their Cocolicious brand dog food after it was determined to be contaminated with pentobarbital, a pet euthanasia drug.  

• The news report by Pet Health News reproduced on this page fails to mention WHY there was PENTOBARBITAL - an euthanasia drug - in dog food. 
• The disgusting truth is that the bodies of pets who have been put to sleep are sold to pet food companies to be used as protein in their ingredients. 
• Aside from the problematic issue of cannibalism itself, keep in mind that euthanized pets often have tumors, cancers, and other diseases.  It all goes into the big pot of ingredients.   
• The drug itself is toxic if ingested in small amounts over a long period of time. 
• When amounts are small they go unnoticed but they are damaging to the pet's health in the long run. 
• In this case there was so much of it in their food that pets got very sick and vets alerted owners of the presence of Pentobarbital in their dog's food. 

VIDEO:  Former AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) President admits pet food may contain pets.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuoSxSJ94RY

 

Even the most prestigious pet brands may contain ingredients that are pre-manufactured in China, a country that is notorious for its lower safety standards. 

 

2007:  Thousands of pets got sick and died from the effects of an ingredient imported from China by top quality American pet food companies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls

 

2016:  FDA: Jerky treats (mostly from China) sickened 6,200 dogs, killed 1,140  The illness reports also involved 26 cats and three people.  http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/5822-fda-update-jerky-treats-sickened-6200-dogs-killed-1140

 

2015:  At least 4000 dogs killed by PURINA BENEFUL DRY FOOD toxic ingredients (in moldy grains), lawsuit claims

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2015/02/at-least-4000-dogs-killed-by-purina.html

 

 

Please feed your pets home made food.  There are websites that will provide you with recipes.  Cats are easy to feed.  Just buy cans of tuna or sardines.  They are not more expensive than pet food and you are ensuring a better health and longer life for your pet, on top of saving in vet bills.  Give cats little bits of hard boiled egg yolk, and cat grass to help their digestion.  

 

Here is just one example of many pet foods contaminated with one thing or another.  On this page see link to a veterinary website listing all pet foods that have been recalled in the past year.   You'll be surprised to find many of the top quality brands included.

 

Excerpt from the Party Animal Pet Food webpage.  This food was found to contain excessive amounts of the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital.  It is possible that the company imported ingredients without knowing their actual contents.

 

HAND CRAFTED IN SMALL BATCHES & MADE WITH LOVE!

In 2006, we embarked on a mission to create the most scrumptious & healthiest pet food from our kitchen for our furry children. We had no business plan, just a passion to provide the healthiest meal possible for our pets to enjoy.
Today, Party Animal™ continues to develop products that are never compromising. We use the best ingredients available, such as: organic and wholesome protein sources, organic oils, organic fruits and organic vegetables. All of our products are complete and balanced for all breeds and life stages with added vitamins and minerals to nourish your furry child's body from the inside out. If your furry child approves of our product, please spread the word everywhere from Facebook, to Twitter, to Instagram, to Yappy Hour, or Happy Hour!

Thank you for your continued support of Party Animal™!

 http://partyanimalpetfood.com/#section-1059

  

PET HEALTH NEWS - Pet food manufacturer Party Animal voluntarily recalled two variants of their Cocolicious brand dog food after it was determined to be contaminated with pentobarbital, a pet euthanasia drug.

 

Continue reading this, articles documenting the use of euthanized pets in pet food, and watch VIDEO of pet food manufacturing company employee dumping dead pets into containers for processing.

VET DOCTOR WHO VIOLENTLY ABUSED HIS ANIMAL PATIENTS IS SUSPENDED FOR ONLY FOUR MONTHS - Dr. Mahavir Singh Rekhi has been practicing in CANADA, but was educated in PAKISTAN, a Muslim country where animals can be LEGALLY tortured since there are no laws against animal cruelty

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• Dr. Mahavir Singh Rekhi, will probably return to his practice at the SKYWAY ANIMAL HOSPITAL in St. Catherine, Ontario, after a suspension originally of ten months to be reduced to only four months if he takes two and a half days of retraining.
• Incriminating videos showed him choking, beating, and engaging in other violent acts against his little animal patients. 
• Animal rights advocates, and the four whistleblower employees who witnessed the abuse first hand are outraged because they think the punishment does not fit the crime, and rightfully so.

WATCH VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMnUxOyLVdc

Source
http://blog.fido4ever.com/outrage-prominent-veterinarian-caught-camera-dogs-gets-suspension/

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BEWARE OF PET VACCINES - Thousands of dogs are dying or suffering severe reactions from anti-bacterial vaccine Nobivac L4 used against leptospirosis - Many other PET VACCINES are thought to cause all kinds of health problems in pets, including cancer

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Thousands of dogs dying or suffering severe reactions after being vaccinated against bacterial infections

• World Small Animal Veterinary Association warns against Nobivac L4
• Vaccination helps safeguard dogs from leptospirosis, which can be fatal
• Owners warned against giving vaccination to puppies under 12 weeks old
• Government regulator received 2,000 reports of fatal or severe reactions 
• Manufacturer MSD Animal Health insists such cases are 'rare'

Dog owners are being warned against the side effects of a vaccine that has caused thousands of beloved pets to die or suffer severe allergic reactions.

 

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has asked owners not to use Nobivac L4 vaccine, which helps safeguard dogs against a bacterial infection, on puppies under 12 weeks old amid safety concerns.

 

Continue reading this article and others on the dangers of pet vaccines

PETS AND FIREWORKS - LOVE YOUR COUNTRY BUT LOVE YOUR PET TOO - Suggestions for protecting your dog from getting lost or even dying of terror

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• Many pets are still running away or getting killed by cars as they bolt blindly from the noise.
• Some are so scared they can actually drop dead from heart attacks.
• More pets go missing over the Fourth of July weekend than any other time of year.
• The populations of many shelters will increase 30 percent over the holiday weekend
• See Do and Don't list for pet care during firework celebrations 

 

To us, fireworks are the sparkling embodiment of July Fourth. But to dogs, they truly are bombs bursting in air.

 

The pops and explosions, raucous block parties and other loud noises during holiday festivities can scare dogs into leaping over or digging under fences to escape the thunderous blasts, leading them to get lost or injured.

 

More pets go missing over the Fourth of July weekend than any other time of year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

 

Many seasoned animal lovers know to keep their dogs inside, but many pets are still running away or getting killed by cars as they bolt blindly from the noise, or dying from sheer terror. 

 

Continue reading, and see Do and Don't List

CANINE FLU VIRUS SICKENS HUNDREDS OF DOGS IN THE US MIDWEST - Keep your dog away from areas frequented by other dogs - Canine Influenza Virus IS NOT transmissible to humans

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Key points:

• The Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) that causes dog flu, Influenza Type A (H3N8), cannot be transmitted from dogs to people.
• The CIV was first identified in Florida in 2004.  
• It primarily infects the respiratory system and is extremely contagious.  
• A vaccine was granted full license by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2009 (Nobivac® Canine Flu H3N8). 
• This vaccine does not prevent the canine flu.  It is alleged it lessens its symptoms only.
• Merck says it has no side effects, but they mean IMMEDIATE side effects. Side effects could show up months or years into the future, as with other vaccines.
• It's best to keep your dog isolated from areas visited by other dogs.
• Some dogs can be exposed to the virus and fight off infection without showing clinical signs.
• Mild symptoms include a cough.
• Severe symptoms could be fever, trouble breathing, and pneumonia
• The CIV may have been passed from horses to dogs a few years ago.
• One strain of CIV may sicken cats 
• See articles critical of this vaccine and other pet vaccines, and read about natural alternatives.
• All this material is given as information only.  Pet owners must make up their own minds.
• This blog is strongly supportive of feeding pets human food to keep their immune systems strong, and their digestive systems healthy.  Check the web for recipes.  Cats can get excellent (and inexpensive)  nutrition from sardines in water, and cat grass as a snack.   

 Continue reading

AT LEAST 4000 DOGS KILLED BY PURINA BENEFUL DRY FOOD TOXIC INGREDIENTS, LAWSUIT CLAIMS

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PLEASE CONSIDER FEEDING PEOPLE FOOD TO YOUR PET Check the web for recipes and instructions for proper nutrition You love your pet so much, why give him questionable food? A pet that eats healthy food is a healthier, happier pet.  You will save money in visits to the vet. He'll live longer

• At least 4000 dogs are thought to have died from eating PURINA Beneful kibble with toxic ingredients
• A class action lawsuit alleges a mold byproduct used in kibble is leading pets to agonizing deaths from internal bleeding, diarrhea, seizures, and liver malfunction.
• It was first thought that the additive propylene glycol, also used in antifreeze, was the culprit.
• It's the same substance that caused the spiced whiskey Fireball to be recalled in Europe.
• Food grade propylene glycol has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Propylene glycol has been linked to toxicity, especially the type being alleged against Purina Beneful.
• The lawsuit lawyer thinks there's another culprit in the mix, and he's name it in the lawsuit.  It's called mycotoxins.
• Translated directly from the Greek words for "fungus poison," mycotoxins are a toxic byproduct of mold found in grains. 

 

Despite years of online allegations that one of the most popular dog food brands has been poisoning pets, it wasn’t until just weeks ago that the cat was let out of the bag in a court filing. A class action lawsuit was filed that blames the deaths of thousands of dogs on one of Purina’s most popular brands of chow.

 

Googling Nestle Purina Petcare’s Beneful brand will get you the pet food manufacturer’s website, a Facebook page with over a million likes, and, in stark contrast, a Consumer Affairs page with 708 one-star ratings supported with page after grim page detailing dogs suffering slow, agonizing deaths from mysterious causes.

Continue reading

EXPERIMENTAL ANTI-RABIES VACCINE SUCCESSFULLY TREATS DISEASE AFTER IT REACHES THE BRAIN in half the animals infected and already showing symptoms of the disease

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Successfully treating rabies can be a race against the clock. Those who suffer a bite from a rabid animal have a brief window of time to seek medical help before the virus takes root in the central nervous system, at which point the disease is almost invariably fatal.

A canine exhibiting signs of restlessness

and uncharacteristic aggressiveness,

two symptoms of rabies. Image/CDC

Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have successfully tested a new treatment on mice that cures the disease even after the virus has spread to the brain. They published their findings recently in the Journal of Virology.

“Basically, the best way to deal with rabies right now is simple: Don’t get rabies,” said study co-author Biao He, a professor of infectious diseases in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

“We have vaccines that can prevent the disease, and we use the same vaccine as a kind of treatment after a bite, but it only works if the virus hasn’t progressed too far.

 

“Our team has developed a new vaccine that rescues mice much longer after infection than what was traditionally thought possible.”

THE POWER OF LOVE - PICTURES OF DOGS BEFORE AND AFTER BEING ADOPTED - From loneliness and depression to real joy and happiness

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The same process occurs in humans after adopting a pet.  Animals bring the kind of love and companionship that no human can match.  Pets are our teachers, and we have the privilege to share our lives with such kind, intelligent and loving creatures. 

All pets are therapy animals, particularly for children and the elderly.  It is amazing how people turn to pets for true and unconditional love in childhood, and then again during their senior years - periods in which many people experience loneliness.

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This Reddit user shared a photo of his Labrador hound mix rescue dog named Spokey, whom he adopted from the SPCA. He wrote: 'What a difference one day can make. Meet Spokey!'

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This is Pillow the bulldog. His owner, Reddit user Gniwa, visited him on numerous occasions until his parents gave him the permission to adopt him.

See more images and web links to problems related to pet food and vaccinations.

IF YOUR PET IS OBESE - PLEASE BE GENTLE IN HOW YOU HELP HIM SLIM DOWN - And the danger of vaccines and commercial pet food ingredients

The headline:  Morbidly obese cat King Leo dies from cardiac arrest - despite having lost 10lbs with the help of rigorous fitness regime.

 

This cat's last days on Earth must have been sheer hell.  He was subjected to an exercise regime including treadmill, which - if it helped with his fitness at all - it stressed him enough to have probably contributed to his death. 

 

King Leo at 30 pounds.

 

Use gentleness

 

Cats don't like to be told what to do.  Dogs don't either, but due to their pleasing nature, they submit.  Forcing pets to engage in a strenuous fitness regime will overwhelm them and affect their immune and nervous system. 

 

I could tell you to have a veterinary determine and monitor the animal's diet and activity regime, but in Leo's case the cat's owner worked in a veterinary office. 

 

Would you eat what's in your pet food?

HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS PARVOVIRUS KILLING DOGS IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS

LOWELL (CBS) — A highly contagious viral disease has killed at least 15 dogs in Lowell.  Lowell Animal Control Officer Darlene Wood told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 there have been 15 confirmed cases of the canine parvovirus in the past two weeks.  In each case the dog has died.

 

“We’re asking dog owners to check and see if their dogs have updated vaccinations or have been vaccinated for the parvovirus, and if they have not, to certainly go to a veterinarian and get that done,” Wood said Tuesday.

 

She told WBZ there have also been cases of the virus in the Berkshires, Worcester County and on the North Shore.  “It’s transmitted through the feces and the vomit of a dog that already has the disease. Your dog would see such things as his eating might be off. He’d be lethargic, vomiting a lot, bloody diarrhea. It has a very distinct smell,” Wood said.  “Because it’s so highly contagious, the viral disease can actually live on inanimate objects for months.”

 

Wood said if you suspect your dog may have the virus, don’t take him or her to a public area, and get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Source - http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/08/19/high-contagious-parvovirus-kills-15-dogs-in-lowell/
Photo - Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images/CBS

 

Canine Parvovirus

PetsWebMD - Canine parvovirus is an acute, highly contagious disease of dogs that was first described in the early 1970s. The virus has a tendency to attack rapidly reproducing cells, such as those lining the gastrointestinal tract.

 

The virus is shed in large amounts in the stools of acutely infected dogs for up to several weeks following infection. The disease is transmitted by oral contact with infected feces. Parvo can be carried on the dog’s hair and feet, as well as on contaminated crates, shoes, and other objects. When the dog licks the fecal material off hair, feet, or anything that came in contact with infected feces, he acquires the disease.

DANCER HELPS HER DISABLED GREAT DANE TO WALK AFTER HE HELPED HER RECOVER WHEN SHE WAS PARALIZED, and had been told by doctors that she would never walk again

Gemma McKee said her pet dog was her 'rock' when she broke her ankles.  Now she has returned the favour after Cesar lost the use of his hind legs.  She bought him a £500 set of wheels which enables him to run and walk.

 

A woman who was helped to walk again thanks to her dog has now returned the favour after her pet lost the use of its back legs.  Gemma McKee, 26, has Cesar, a two-year-old Great Dane, to thank for helping her to walk after breaking both ankles in a diving accident.  But she was left heartbroken after her 'rock' suffered a back injury, leaving him without the use of his rear legs.

TOUCHING MOMENT WHEN DOG SEES OWNERS AGAIN AFTER HAVING EYE SURGERY TO RESTORE HIS SIGHT

Delighted terrier Duffy can't contain his excitement after being re-united with his owners following the successful operation

Duffy developed diabetes and lost his eyesight

He gives his owners a wet welcome as he runs around the room for joy

Photo:  Just look at that grin.

If you ever wondered whether dogs had emotions, a video of Duffy the Irish Terrier will answers your questions once and for all. 

 

Little Duffy had gone blind from complications with diabetes.  However, his owners from Pennsylvania managed to improve his condition and Duffy was able to undergo restorative surgery to bring back his sight. 

Read more and see additional pictures and video
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2660437/The-heartwarming-moment-Duffy-Irish-terrier-sees-owners-time-having-surgery-restore-sight.html
Pictures - Benjamin May - YouTube  -  Daily Mail

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THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN DOGS SICKENED AND KILLED BY JERKY TREATS MADE WITH CHINESE INGREDIENTS - OVER 1000 KILLED - more than 5000 made sick so far - Even treats made in the USA can be tainted.

NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) - May 19, 2014 - More than 1,000 dog deaths may now be linked to toxic jerky treats according to the Food and Drug Administration.  And the agency says since 2007, there have been almost 5,000 complaints of pet illnesses related to the treats.

 

The majority of those illnesses were of gastrointestinal or liver disease and about a third were linked to kidney and urinary disease.  “It's something I worry about in general just because it seems to keep recalling dog foods,” said dog owner Colin Fisher. “They don’t know what's in them.” 

 

In fact, not even the FDA is sure of what exactly is sickening the pets...  They say a common thread in the reported illnesses is that the pets ate a chicken or duck jerky treat, or a jerky-wrapped treat.  And most of the questionable treats came from China.  Several brands voluntarily pulled their jerkys last year but complaints have persisted.

 

Dr. Jonathan Levine, an associate veterinarian at Blue Pearl says owners should always check the labels of whatever they feed their pets.  “Always be aware of what you're buying and where it's coming from,” Dr. Levine says.  But even that is not foolproof.

The FDA says products that are stamped 'Made in the USA' could still contain ingredients sourced from China or other countries.  Dogs may have specific signs of sickness including vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. 

 

Levine says if your dog has any of those symptoms contact your vet right way.  Another dog owner we spoke to, Miriam Bouchma, says after reading about the toxic treats, she's stopped feeding store bought jerky to her dog Baily altogether.  “I've started making my treat at home in terms of the jerky strips, it's not that hard to do” she said.

 

Watch video here -

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25545565/fda-over-1000-dog-deaths-linked-to-toxic-jerky-treats

 

 

RELATED

 

This story was reported back in October 2013 - Today's update by Fox demonstrates how the FDA is still reluctant to take action while pets keep dying.  At that time 600 pets had died.  Now it's over a thousand. 

 

This is what a pet owner said at that time:   

"I am disgusted that our government continues to protect corporate American and China," a grieving pet owner told NBC News. "They need to start protecting the American consumer so that this does not happen again. As soon as a product is in doubt, a warning label should be placed at the point of sale so that consumers can make an educated choice." 
Read more

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/10/pet-treats-continue-to-kill-hundreds.html

 

 

Animal food recalls - filter by cat or dog

https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx

 

Pet food ingredients - The shocking truth

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/09/pet-food-ingredients-shocking-truth.html

 

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THE VAMPIRE VETERINARY DOCTOR WHO KEPT DOG IN APALLIING CONDITION AS A BLOOD DONOR FOR MONTHS AFTER FAMILY HAD TAKEN DOG TO BE EUTHANIZED

Marian and Jamie Harris took their Leonberger to be put down at Camp Bowie Animal Clinic last fall after being told he had spinal defect 

Veterinarian Dr Lou Tierce let the Harrises say goodbye to Sid and promised to bury him on his farm

Former clinic worker Mary Brewer called Marian Harris last week to tell her that Sid was alive and staying in a cage in the back of the clinic

Another veterinarian found the pet had mange and showed clear signs that he was used for blood transfusions, but did not need to be put down

MRI showed Sid never had a congenital spinal defect

Dr Tierce hit back at his accusers, saying allegations against him are 'all a bunch of hooey'

WHAT'S BEHIND THIS HYSTERIA ABOUT ALLEGED CAT-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION OF TUBERCULOSIS? What about the new 1,000 cases of TB a day through human transmission in Europe alone?

NEWS REPORTS MAKE NO MENTION OF THE EPIDEMIC OF HUMAN-TO HUMAN TB TRANSMISSION - 1,000 NEW CASES A DAY IN EUROPE ALONE.  And this is the hard to treat tuberculosis, which is resistant to antibiotics.

 

The more "experts" warn about cat-transmitted tuberculosis, the higher the suspicion over what is really motivating this sudden hysteria. 

MYSTERY ILLNESS KILLING DOGS IN BRITAIN

Mystery of the killer dog disease: UK death toll hits 21 after pets develop lesions and fatal kidney failure

• A total of 48 dogs of different breeds have contracted the illness in the UK
• Disease attacks the blood vessels and affects the dog's skin and kidneys
• Total of 48 dogs now thought to have contracted the disease - 24 confirmed cases with 21 deaths, plus 24 unconfirmed cases - in less than 18 months
• Common symptoms include lesions, loss of appetite, and vomiting
• Vets and experts admit they are unsure what is causing the disease
• Symptoms are similar to a fatal disease called Alabama Rot from the 1980s

The disease then attacks the dog's kidneys, ultimately leading to an often drawn-out death.

 

Although instances of the disease have been confirmed in Yorkshire, Cornwall, Worcestershire, County Durham, Surrey and Dorset, cases have centered around the New Forest, Hants.

Read more about individual cases here
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2587918/Mystery-killer-dog-disease-UK-death-toll-hits-21-canines-develop-lesions-kidney-failure.html

RELATED

Something is killing pets in Britain's New Forest - makes pets vomit blood - toxin suspected
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2014/03/something-is-killing-dogs-in-britains.html

More on Pet Health on this blog
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Animals%20-%20Pet%20Health

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PET FOOD ALERT - PIECES OF PLASTIC FOUND IN CAT FOOD

 

Canadian man found pieces of plastic on three instances in two different brands:  President's Choice and Whiskas.

 

Commercial cat food isn't exactly known for its healthy, pure ingredients. But shards of plastic? That's what Christopher Graper found in three tins of cat food he bought for his cat, Mojo. And the weirdest thing? The tins were made by two different manufacturers. Mr. Graper found the plastic in two tins of President's Choice food, and one tin of Whiskas.   When he complained to Loblaw, the grocery chain that produces the President's Choice products, the company tested and confirmed that it was, indeed, plastic in the food. Mr. Graper found the pieces of plastic before Mojo consumed any of it.

 

He's since been given a $25 gift certificate as compensation. He says that's not enough. Mr. Graper is still addressing the issue with Whiskas. It's not yet clear whether the tins, despite being different brands, were produced in the same facility. 

 

Loblaw declined an interview with As It Happens but sent us this statement:  "We take all complaints of this sort very seriously and we were in touch directly with the customer multiple times as we investigated his complaint. As part of our investigation we tested the product, the foreign material and other product produced at the same time under the same conditions. None of the other products tested had any foreign material and, nothing matching the foreign material is found in or around the production line or facility. Our quality assurance team continues to watch for other concerns of this sort, however, we have not received any other complaints." 

 

Mars, the company that makes Whiskas, has not yet responded to requests for an interview.

 

Source - http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2014/03/13/man-finds-shards-of-plastic-in-cat-food----three-times/
 

NOTE:  The reason why two brands were found to contain pieces of plastic may be that different brands order their ingredients from common sources, then they put the ingredients together according to their particular formulas.

 

Whenever possible try to feed you pets nutritious home-made meals.  It's not too hard, and it's cheaper in the long run.  You save money in pet supplies and in veterinary costs.  Your animal will live healthier and longer.

 

In the case of cats, they love sardines.  Sardines are far less contaminated by mercury than tuna.  And they don't cost too much, particularly if you buy them by the case when they're on sale. 

 

The web has sites with easy recipes for dogs and cats.  We love them so much.  Why not give them the best?

 
PHOTO above, adoptable cat Mudslide at the Victoria British Columbia SPCA
 

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RELATED

 

Thousands of pets suffered and died in 2007 as a result of food contaminated with ingredients from Asia.

 

As you may recall, in 2007 several pet food brands were found to contain a lethal ingredient.  By the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than 100 pet deaths amongst nearly 500 cases of kidney failure, with one online database self-reporting as many as 3,600 deaths.  Overall, several major companies have recalled more than 5300 pet food products, with most of the recalls coming from Menu Foods. The contamination was caused by melamine in the affected foods (imported from China).

 

Read more - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls

 

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In June 2012 Pedigree dog food was recalled because it contained small pieces of plastic.

http://www.examiner.com/article/pedigree-dog-food-recalled-due-to-plastic-pieces-canned-food
 

 

MOST IMPORTED PET FOOD INGREDIENTS COME FROM CHINA

2012:  According to PetfoodIndustry.com, in just the month of February 2011, 70 percent of pet food ingredients imported to U.S. pet food manufacturers came from China.

 

In that month alone, almost $22 million dollars worth of pet food products were purchased from China. The second largest importer was Thailand, from whom we purchased a measly-by-comparison $7.6 million in pet-related goods.

 

If you're worried about feeding your pet a food with ingredients imported from China (or anywhere else), at first glance the solution seems simple. Just read the product label to insure it says 'Made in the USA' … right? 

 

Not exactly.  U.S. country of origin labeling laws only require that products made in the U.S. be put together here. There's no requirement of pet food manufacturers to identify where the ingredients in their products come from.

Read more - http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/02/01/pet-food-and-china-more-cause-for-concern.aspx
 

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Pet food ingredients - the shocking truth

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/09/pet-food-ingredients-shocking-truth.html

 

 

ANIMAL FOOD ALERT RECALLS

Filter for cat and dog food

https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx?fvalue=Cat

 

 

More pet health articles on this blog
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Animals%20-%20Pet%20Health

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FOOT LONG WORM INFECTING CATS IN THE UNITED STATES

A parasitic worm that can grow to be almost a foot long and is known to infect raccoons has been found in cats in the United States for the first time.

 

To lay eggs that hatch into larvae, the female Dracunculus insignis worm must first emerge from its host. It forms a blister-like protrusion in an extremity, such as a leg, from which it slowly emerges over the course of days to deposit its young into the water.

 

“The problem is you can’t tell the exact species by looking at female worms,” says Araceli Lucio-Forster, a researcher in the lab of Dwight Bowman, professor of parasitology at Cornell University. “You need males to tell the species, because only they have distinct characteristics, such as different shapes of tail protrusions, to tell one from another.”

 

For a new study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Bowman’s lab collaborated with Dracunculus experts at the Centers for Disease Control to study sections of the worms in detail and conduct molecular analyses to confirm the identification.

 

Worms in the Dracunculus genus are well-known in human medicine. D. insignis’ sister worm, the waterborne Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis), infected millions of people around the world until eradication efforts beginning in the 1980s removed it from all but four countries with only 148 cases reported in 2013

 

Water and Frogs

 

Other Dracunculus worms infect a host of other mammals—D. insignis mainly infects raccoons and other wild mammals and, in rare cases, dogs. It does not infect humans.

 

“The cats that contracted the worms likely ingested the parasites by drinking unfiltered water or hunting frogs,” Lucio-Forster says.

 

It takes a year from the time a mammal ingests the worm until the females are ready to migrate to an extremity and start the cycle anew.

 

While the worms do little direct harm beyond creating shallow ulcers in the skin, secondary infections and painful inflammatory responses may result from the worm’s emergence from the host. There are no drugs to treat a D. insignis infection—the worms must be removed surgically.

 

“Although rare in cats, this worm may be common in wildlife and the only way to protect animals from it is to keep them from drinking unfiltered water and from hunting—in other words, keep them indoors,” says Lucio-Forster.

Source -
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/537678-foot-long-worms-are-infecting-cats-in-the-us/

Source: Cornell University

More on parasites on this blog
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Parasites

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